Characterization of phase transition in liquid crystals by voltaic potential difference

Our investigations show that the determination of voltaic potential differences is a useful method to characterize the phase transition N → I and I → N for a liquid-crystal (LC) mixture and for a phase transition from one liquid-crystalline phase into another. The ΔV/T curves show reversible as well as an irreversible behaviour. Moreover, the transition from the smectic into the nematic phase is demonstrated on liquid-crystalline polymers.